Robert Maćkowiak

Robert Maćkowiak
Robert Maćkowiak in 2007.
Personal information
NationalityPolish
Born (1970-05-13) 13 May 1970 (age 54)
Rawicz, Poland
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight78 kg (172 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)200 metres, 400 metres
Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing  Poland
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 0 0 0
World Championships 1 0 1
World Indoor Championships 1 1 0
European Championships 0 2 0
European Indoor Championships 1 0 2
Total 3 3 3
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1999 Seville 4 × 400m relay[1]
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Athens 4 × 400 m relay
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 2001Lisbon 4 × 400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 1999 Maebashi 4 × 400 m relay
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1998 Budapest 400 m
Silver medal – second place 1998 Budapest 4 x 400 m relay
European Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 2002 Vienna 4 × 400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 1998 Valencia 400 m
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Vienna 200 m

Robert Maćkowiak (born 13 May 1970 in Rawicz, Wielkopolskie[2]) is a former Polish sprinter. Together with Tomasz Czubak, Jacek Bocian and Piotr Haczek he won the gold medal in 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics.[1] Maćkowiak has also won other relay medals as well as individual medals in the 200 metres and 400 metres.

He belonged to the most famous and successful Polish relay team in the 1990s together with Tomasz Czubak, Piotr Haczek and Piotr Rysiukiewicz. Numerous injuries prevented them from joining the best relays of all time. The worst disaster happened in the Olympic Games in Sydney. The Polish team was one of the favourites to win a medal (after unstoppable U.S. really there were two main rivals: Jamaica and Bahamas). On the second leg (on the first ran Rysiukiewicz) Maćkowiak was leading, but he ran into a starting box (Polish team ran on the eighth lane) and Poland lost their medal chances. The relay finished seventh in the competition. Maćkowiak also competed in the individual race in which he finished fifth.

Maćkowiak was also one of the favourites in the World Championships in Edmonton 2001). His main rival was German runner Ingo Schultz who had best times in qualification runs. Maćkowiak was a candidate for silver but he got an injury a few days before final and he lost all medal chances. He also didn't start in the relay run which took place a few days after individual start.

He officially retired at the end of the 2006 season.

Competition record

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Poland
1989 European Junior Championships Varaždin, Yugoslavia 7th 200 m 21.59
1st 4 × 100 m relay 40.00
1991 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 9th (sf) 4 × 100 m relay 39.08
1992 European Indoor Championships Genoa, Italy 5th 200 m 21.76
1994 European Championships Helsinki, Finland 6th 4 × 400 m relay 3:04.22
1995 World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 31st (h) 200 m 20.83
5th 4 × 400 m relay 3:03.84
1996 European Indoor Championships Stockholm, Sweden – 200 m DQ
Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 20th (qf) 200 m 20.61
6th 4 × 400 m relay 3:00.96
1997 World Indoor Championships Paris, France 4th 400 m 45.94
World Championships Athens, Greece 9th (qf) 400 m 45.26 (NR)
3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:00.26
1998 European Indoor Championships Valencia, Spain 3rd 400 m 46.00
Goodwill Games Uniondale, United States 2nd 4 × 400 m relay 2:58.00 (NR)
European Championships Budapest, Hungary 2nd 400 m 45.04
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 2:58.88
1999 World Indoor Championships Maebashi, Japan 2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:03.01 (iAR)
World Championships Seville, Spain 9th (qf) 400 m 45.23
1st 4 × 400 m relay[1] 2:58.91
2000 Olympic Games Sydney, Australia 5th 400 m 45.14
7th 4 × 400 m relay 3:03.22
2001 World Indoor Championships Lisbon, Portugal 15th (h) 400 m 47.24
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:04.47
World Championships Edmonton, Canada 3rd (sf) 400 m 44.84[3]
2002 European Indoor Championships Vienna, Austria 3rd 200 m 20.77
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:05.50
European Championships Munich, Germany – 4 × 400 m relay DQ
2005 European Indoor Championships Madrid, Spain – 4 × 400 m relay DQ
World Championships Helsinki, Finland 5th 4 × 400 m relay 3:00.58

Personal bests

Outdoor

Indoor

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c The USA 4 x 400 team originally finished first in 4x400 m relay but was disqualified in 2008 due to Antonio Pettigrew confession of using human growth hormone and EPO between 1997 and 2003.
  2. ^ Sports-Reference profile
  3. ^ Did not finish in the final

References